[the-facts-machine] Re: Overview of Accessibility in IOS 8 from MacStories
- From: "Marcia Moses" <mgmoses@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 16:36:30 -0400
BlankThanks, Rich, I’ll grab it right now.
Marcia
From: Richard McKinley
Sent: Monday, September 15, 2014 3:13 PM
To: the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [the-facts-machine] Re: Overview of Accessibility in IOS 8 from
MacStories
I put it in the drop box folder Marcia. David Woodbridge does the podcast and
does a very good job. The keyboard will also work with your iPod. Here's the
link for anyone else who wishes to listen or download the podcast from my
dropbox folder.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1587669/Rivo%20for%20voiceover.mp3
----- Original Message -----
From: Marcia Moses
To: the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2014 7:33 PM
Subject: [the-facts-machine] Re: Overview of Accessibility in IOS 8 from
MacStories
Hi Rich, please put the podcast in our Drop Box folder, thanks.
Marcia
From: Richard McKinley
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2014 10:04 AM
To: the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [the-facts-machine] Re: Overview of Accessibility in IOS 8 from
MacStories
Marcia, I ordered the RIVO keyboard. Not that I need it but there are times
I'd use it. I got it to show Linda there is a way she could use the iPhone.
Touch screens and her arent friends. LOL. The cost for the keyboard is
$129.00 and $15.00 for shipping. I have a podcast if you'd like it.
On Sep 13, 2014, at 10:17 PM, "Marcia Moses" <mgmoses@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Maybe I’ll get an I-phone six, who knows.
Marcia
From: Toni
Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2014 1:15 PM
To: the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [the-facts-machine] Re: Overview of Accessibility in IOS 8 from
MacStories
Thanks Steve. I am a little overwhelmed but I'm sure I'll get there.
Sent from my iPhone
On Sep 13, 2014, at 12:24 PM, Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
An Overview of iOS 8′s New Accessibility Features
By Steven Aquino
Since this year’s WWDC keynote ended, the focus of any analysis on iOS 8
has been its features — things like Continuity, Extensions, and iCloud Drive.
This is, of course, expected: iOS is the operating system that drives Apple’s
most important (and most profitable) products, so it’s natural that the
limelight be shone on the new features for the mass market.
As I’ve written, however, the Accessibility features that Apple includes in
iOS are nonetheless just as important and innovative as the A-list features
that Craig Federighi demoed on stage at Moscone. Indeed, Apple is to be lauded
for their year-over-year commitment to improving iOS’s Accessibility feature
set, and they continue that trend with iOS 8.
Here, I run down what’s new in Accessibility in iOS 8, and explain briefly
how each feature works.
Alex. Apple is bringing Alex, its natural-sounding voice on the Mac, to
iOS. Alex will work with all of iOS’s spoken audio technologies (Siri
excepted), including VoiceOver, Speak Selection, and another new Accessibility
feature to iOS 8, Speak Screen (see below). In essence, Alex is a replacement
for the robotic-sounding voice that controls VoiceOver, et al, in iOS today.
Speak Screen. With Speak Screen, a simple gesture will prompt the
aforementioned Alex to read anything on screen, including queries asked of
Siri. This feature will be a godsend to visually impaired users who may have
issues reading what is on their iPhone and/or iPad. It should be noted that
Speak Screen is fundamentally different from Speak Selection, which only reads
aloud selected text. By contrast, Speak Screen will read aloud everything on
the screen — text, button labels, etc.
Zoom. Apple has made some welcome tweaks to its Zoom functionality in iOS
8. The hallmark feature is users now have the ability to specify which part of
the screen is zoomed in, as well as adjust the level of the zoom. In
particular, it’s now possible to have the virtual keyboard on screen at normal
size underneath a zoomed-in window. What this does is makes it easy to both
type and see what you’re typing without having to battle the entirety of the
user interface being zoomed in.
Grayscale. iOS in and of itself doesn’t have “themes” like so many
third-party apps support — and even like OS X Yosemite’s new “dark mode”. iOS
does, however, support a pseudo-theme by way of Invert Colors (white-on-black).
In iOS 8, Apple is adding a second pseudo-theme to the system with Grayscale.
With this option turned on, the entirety of iOS’s UI is turned, as the name
would imply, gray. The addition of a Grayscale is notable because it gives
those users who have issues with colorized display — or who simply view darker
displays better — another way to alter the contrast of their device(s).
Guided Access. The big addition to Guided Access is that Apple is
leveraging its own new-to-iOS-8 Touch ID developer API to enable users to be
able to exit Guided Access using their scanned fingerprint. This is a
noteworthy feature because it effectively guarantees that students (or
test-takers or museum visitors) can’t leave Guided Access to access the Home
screen or other parts of iOS.
As well, Apple has added a time limit feature to Guided Access, thereby
allowing teachers, parents, and the like to specify the length of time Guided
Access is to be used. Especially in special education classrooms, features such
as Touch ID to exit and the timer can be extremely powerful in ensuring an
uninterrupted learning experience, keeping students on task yet still set the
expectation that a transition (i.e., “You can play games now”, for instance)
will take place in X minutes. In terms of behavior modification, Guided
Access’s new features are potentially game-changing, indispensable tools for
educators.
Enhanced Braille Keyboard. iOS 8 adds support for 6-dot Braille input
system-wide. This feature involves a dedicated Braille keyboard that will
translate 6-dot chords into text.
“Made for iPhone” Hearing Aids. Apple in iOS 8 has improved its Made for
iPhone Hearing Aids software so that now users who use hearing aids and have
multiple devices now can easily switch between them. Moreover, if a hearing aid
is paired with more than one device, users will now be able to pick which
device they’d like to use.
Third Party Keyboard API. This topic (as well as QuickType) is worthy of
its own standalone article, but the accessibility ramifications of iOS 8’s
third party keyboard API are potentially huge for those with special needs.
A third-party keyboard on iOS 8. (Source: Apple.com)
Anecdotally speaking, I hear from several low vision iOS-using friends who
lament the default system keyboard, which is essentially the same keyboard that
shipped with the original iPhone in 2007. The problem, my friends say, is that
the key caps are too small and the glyphs too hard to read. With the new API,
though, third party developers such as the team at Fleksy can create entirely
customized keyboards that users can use instead of the stock one. This means
developers can control key spacing and size, color, and so forth in an effort
to create keyboards that accommodate for a wide array of visual — and motor —
needs.
In fact, at WWDC I had a chance to speak with Fleksy co-founder and COO,
Ioannis Verdelis, about the keyboard API and his company’s product. While I
won’t divulge anything that was said at our meeting, suffice it to say that
Ioannis and his team were stoked at the news of the new API, and are really
excited for what they have in the works for iOS 8. They really believe the new
Fleksy will benefit a lot of people with special needs.
Miscellany. iOS 8 brings with it a few housekeeping changes to
Settings.app, where the Accessibility options are located. For example, the
Subtitles & Captioning option — which previously was found under Hearing — has
been moved to a new Media section, right next to a new Video Descriptions
toggle. Furthermore, the Physical & Motor pane — home to such features as
Switch Control and AssistiveTouch — has been rechristened Interaction.
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As stated above, Apple’s steadfast commitment to improving Accessibility
year after year deserves the utmost praise, and 2014 is no different. As
someone who relies on some of iOS’s Accessibility technologies in order to use
my devices, the breadth and depth of these features never cease to amaze me.
Without any tinge of hyperbole, I often marvel at how truly Accessibility
reflects Apple’s ethos of designing products for everyone, regardless of
cognitive or physical impairment. (A sentiment I have expressed numerous times
elsewhere.) Again, these are signs of real innovation, although they
(unfortunately) go largely unheralded. It’s my strong opinion that Apple is
leading the industry in this regard, and iOS 8 takes another step forward in
extending their lead.
Tags: iOS 8
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Steven Aquino
Steven is a freelance tech writer and iOS Accessibility expert, based in
the San Francisco Bay Area. His work has appeared in The Magazine, Macworld,
TidBITS, and more.
Steve
Lansing, MI
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